There conventionally have been solid-state imaging devices that implement an auto focus (AF) function by mixing phase difference detection pixels among imaging pixels. Such a solid-state imaging device implements an AF function (hereinafter called phase difference AF function) of a phase difference detection method by shielding different halves of the respective photoelectric conversion units of a pair of phase difference detection pixels from light and using a difference between the respective outputs of the pair of phase difference detection pixels.
There also have been solid-state imaging devices that implement a global shutter function by including, in each pixel, a charge retention unit that retains charge transferred from a photoelectric conversion unit. Such a solid-state imaging device implements the global shutter function by performing transfer and retention of charge in all the pixels simultaneously so that exposure periods coincide among all the pixels.
Furthermore, solid-state imaging devices having both the global shutter function and the phase difference AF function have been proposed in recent years (e.g., see Patent Literatures 1 and 2).